IN 1947 A YOUNG AMERICAN woman named Eleanor Clark went to Rome on a Guggenheim fellowship to write a novel. But Rome had its way with her, the novel was abandoned, and what followed was not a novel but a series of sketches of Roman life written mostly between 1948 and 1951. This new edition of the essential classic Rome and a Villa includes an evocative introduction by the preeminent translator William Weaver, who was close friends with the author and often wandered the city with her during the years she was working on the book.
Once in Rome, the foreign writer or artist, over the course of weeks, months, or years, begins to lose ambition, to lose a sense of urgency, to lose even a sense of self. What once seemed all-consuming is swallowed up by Rome itself; by the pace of life, by the fatalism of the Roman people, to whom everything and nothing matters, by the sheer historic weight and scale of the place. Rome is life itself - messy, random, anarchic, comical one moment, tragic the next, and above all, seductive.
Clark pays special attention to Roman art and architecture. In the book's midsection she looks at Hadrian's Villa - an enormous, unfinished palace - as a meta-phor for the city itself: decaying, imperial, shabby, but capable of inducing an overwhelming dreaminess in its visitors. The book's final chapter, written for an updated edition in 1974, is a lovely portrait of the so-called Protestant cemetery where both Keats and Shelley are buried, along with other foreign notables.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
ELEANOR CLARK is the author of the National Book Award winner The Oysters of Locmariaquer, Eyes, Etc., and the novels The Bitter Box, Baldur's Gate, and Camping Out. She was married to Robert Penn Warren.
"A brilliant piece of traveler's impressionism, written with verbal polish." -- Time Magazine, April 14, 1952
"You are transported . . . as if conducted by a genie, one who knows where he is going and why." -- The New York Times Book Review, April 13, 1952
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 5.45
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp. Seller Inventory # G06A-03216
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
mass_market. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_386426427
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.3. Seller Inventory # G1888173653I3N01
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.3. Seller Inventory # G1888173653I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
mass_market. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_409185611
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Alley, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Very Good. Previous owner's inscription on inside front cover. Lightly used, may have publisher's or previous owner's markings but NO markings in text. Pasadena's finest new and used bookstore. Seller Inventory # mon0000400161
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Adkins Books, Chattanooga, TN, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # 2404030062
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Michener & Rutledge Booksellers, Inc., Baldwin City, KS, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Light bump to bottom of spine which caused a wrinkle/closed tear to spine, otherwise text clean and tight ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 376 pages. Seller Inventory # 245634
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GridFreed, North Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: New. In shrink wrap. Seller Inventory # 40-25462
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 10-1888173653-G
Quantity: 1 available